An Assessment of Renewable Hydrogen Costs, Infrastucture, and Resource Constraints

S. Lasher, M. Marion, M. Kromer, K. RothTIAX LLC, US

Keywords:renewable, hydrogen, GIS, biomass, wind, infrastructure

Abstract:This study uses a hydrogen logistics model to determine the most economic renewable resources and infrastructure to supply hydrogen to demand centers across the U.S. The model minimizes the projected average price for renewable-hydrogen using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data for renewable resource characteristics (e.g.., resource quality and land type) and cost functions to scale the renewable resource, hydrogen production, and delivery costs. Using these inputs, the model quantifies the trade-off between transport and production costs to project the location of hydrogen supply centers and delivery infrastructure. Initial results were generated for central production via biomass gasification or solar- or wind-powered electrolysis, and by assuming that hydrogen is delivered via networked pipelines. These results show a widely distributed wind and biomass resource that can be utilized for cost-competitive hydrogen production in the US. Projections indicate that 4 times more wind-based than biomass-based production is used to meet a future hydrogen demand of ~50,000 tons per day, and that biomass tends to be the lowest-cost resource. Due to the high cost of centralized solar generation relative to wind power, few solar resources are utilized. Subsequent work will integrate fossil-based resources, carbon-capture technology, and carbon pricing into the model.